Latch lever



J. P. SEAHOLM.

LATCH LEVER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13. 1921.

1,228,9 8, Patente dSept. 12, 1922.

FIGQ

FIGJ

ZAMM

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

JOHN P. SEAHOLM, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO MOLINE PLOW COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF IVIOLINE, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

Application filed August 13, 1921. Serial No. 491,951.

T 0 all tU/ZOHI- it may concern:

lie it known that I, Joii'N P. SEAHULM, a citizen oi the United States, residing at llioline, county of Rock Island, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Latch Levers, oi which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to latch levers and methods or making the same.

The general object of the invention is to provide a simplified latch lever that can be inexpensively produced.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the specification and drawings.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side view of the lever.

Figure 2 is a "front elevation.

Figure 3 is an elevation of one of the parts oi the lever.

Figure 4 is a cross section oi in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a side elevation showing the manner in which the part shown in Figures 3 and is attached to the main body of the lever.

The latch lever comprises in general a body member 1, a handle 2, a mounting 3 for the handle, a connecting link 4;, a latch portion 5, a mounting 6 for the latch portion, and a spring 7.

The main body of the lever is formed of a single strip of metal which has a hole 8 punched in it near the top for the handle mounting, that will be hereinafter described; a slot '9 for the latch portion; and a hole 10 for the pivot or bolt by means of which the lever is mounted on the device with which it is to be used. The handle portion of the main body of the lever is formed by simply bending over the upper end as illustrated in the drawing. It will be noted that the body portion can be easily and inexpensively produced by simply taking astrip of metal, cutting it to the required length, punching the required holes, and bending over one end to form a handle portion.

The mounting for the handle 2 is a novel and particularly desirable construction because it can be inexpensively made and at the same time it serves its purpose most admirably. This mountingis made of two pieces of sheet metal stamped to the form shown in Figure 3, each piece being provided parts shown with a shoulder 11 and a tongue 12. The two stampings are fastened to the main lever by being placed thereon with tongues extending through the hole 8 as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 5 and with shoulders 11 butted against the surface of the lever. The tongues 12 are then bent around against the opposite surface of the lever as illustrated plainly in Figures 4i and 5. The handle 2 is then mounted between the two stampings by a rivet or bolt- 12. This makes an inexpensive mounting comprising a minimum number of parts which may be easily assembled on the lever without the use of bolts or rivets.

The mounting 6 for the latch portion is made of a single piece of metal bent to the shape shown in Figure 1 and riveted to the main body of the lever. The upper portion of the member 6 forms an abutment for the spring and the lower portion is spaced a proper distance from the main body of the lever to provide an opening 13 for the reception of a toothed sector, not shown. The member 6 also serves as a guide for the latch 5 which extends through a hole 14- in the upper portion of the member 6 and through a slot 15 in the lower portion.

The latch 5 is likewise formed of a single piece of metal having a hole punched or threaded therein for the reception of the link a, a swelled portion 16 forming an abutment for a washer 17 and a bent portion 18 adapted to cooperate with a toothed sector. The bent portion is prevented from being laterally displaced by a cotter pin 19 or the like.

The spring 7 abuts against the upper portion of member 6 and against a washer 17 which in turn abuts the swelled portion 16 of latch 55. The spring 7 normally biases the latch downwardly to cause the portion 18 of member 5 to engage a notch in the toothed sector. When it is desired to release the latch lever, the operator pulls upwardly on the handle 2 which moves the latch 5 against the tension of spring 7 until the portion 18 is disengaged from the toothed sector.

Upon release of the handle the spring snaps the parts back to their original position.

The advantages of this construction will be appreciated when it is understood that low cost of production as well as advantages 01 operation and durability are necessary in levers of this kind. They aregenera-lly used with agricultural implements where they .receive little care. I They must be m anufactured aslcheaply as possible and at the same time must be able to withstand hard usage.

In the present construction a minimum number of parts have been used comprising a main body, a handle, a simple mounting for the handle,a link and latchportion, and a simple mounting and spring for the latter.

Qne of the special features of the invention is the simple mounting "for the handle portion of the lever. lt'is constructed so that it can be made cheaply and can be attached easily without'the use of bolts or rivets.

It is to be understood thatchanges may be made in the construction Without departingfrom the spirit andscope of the invention as defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A latch lever comprising a lever member'having an opening therein, twohandle mounting members having shoulders abut-- ting against thelever member and tongues extending through said opening and bent against the lever member and a handle member mounted between said mounting members and extending through said opening.

2. A latch lever comprising a levermember having anopening therein, two handle mounting members comprising sheet metal stampings provided with shoulders which abut the face of the lever member and with tongues which extend through the opening in the lever member and are bent around against the surface, of said member and a handle member movably mounted between the mounting members and extending through the opening in the lever member.

3. A handle mounting for allever comprising two sheet metal 'stampings positioned in spaced relation on the lever by having tongues extending through aniopening' in a lever and bent over against the surface of the lever, said stampings having shoulders abutting the lever surface on the side opposite to the side contacted by the tongues. LA handle mounting for a: lever comprising two sheet metal stampings having main body portions and tongues that-are narrower than the body port-ions so that shoulders are formed between the bodies and tongues, said stampings being mounted on the lever with the tongues extending through 7 an opening in the lever, the shoulders being in contact with one side of the lever and the-tongues being bent over into contact with the other side of the lever.

5. A latch lever comprising a main lever formed of a metal bar and having a handle portion and an opening near the top thereof, a handle mounting fixed in said opening, a handle carried by the mounting and extend ing through the opening, a link connected to the handle a latch connected to the link and having a bent portion, extending through an opening in the lower portion of the lever, a spring for the latch, and, a guide formed of a single piece of metal and acting as a guide for the latch, an abutment for the spring and forming with the lever a spaced opening for an arc with which the lever may be associated.

In testimony whereof, I ailix my signae ture. JOHN P. SEAHOLM. 

